Sliding rail of a pull-out guide

ABSTRACT

A sliding rail of a pull-out guide includes a sliding rail defining a front end, a rear end, a top, a bottom, and longitudinally-extending slot on the bottom. The sliding rail also includes a molded part. The molded part includes a spring steel strip configured to define a central web with a top end and a bottom end, a rounded portion defined at the bottom end, the rounded portion extending below the bottom of the sliding rail, and a loop-like section defined at the top end, the loop-like section protruding above the top of the sliding rail, toward the rear end of the sliding rail. The rounded portion engages the bottom of the sliding rail and the loop-like section engages the top of the sliding rail so that the molded part is secured to and covers the front end of the sliding rail.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This is a Non-Provisional United States Patent Application that reliesfor priority on PCT Patent Application No. PCT/EP2007/056076, filed onJun. 19, 2007, and also on German Patent Application No. 20 2006 009809.7, filed on Jun. 21, 2006, the contents of both of which areincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a sliding rail of a pull-out guide foraccommodating an oven tray for cooked food. The sliding rail includes amolded part, which is secured to the front end of the tubular slidingrail on the end face facing an oven door and covers the sliding rail atthe front. The sliding rail is slotted in the longitudinal direction,and the molded part is rounded or beveled at its underside and inclinedat its end that protrudes beyond the top side of the sliding rail in thedirection of the rear of the sliding rail.

DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Sliding rails of the abovementioned type are known per se. On the onehand, it is known for the molded part that closes off the sliding railsat the front face to be tailored so that, when the oven door is beingclosed, these types of pull-out guides can be pushed back into theinterior of the oven through the movement of the oven door, this beingguaranteed by a rounding or a beveling. On the other hand, it is knownfor the molded part to enable an oven tray for cooked food to be slidcomfortably onto the sliding rails, this being achieved by means of theends of the molded parts, which incline towards the rear side of thesliding rails and protrude upwards beyond the sliding rails.

In addition, an oven tray for cooked food that is positioned in thecorrect manner is protected against both longitudinal displacement andhorizontal movements by means of the upper ends of the molded parts.

The molded parts also serve as an end stop when pushing in the slidingrails.

On account of the relatively high temperatures that can be set in anoven, metal is the only material that can be considered for producingthe corresponding molded parts.

Cast parts made of light metal are widely used, preferably produced fromaluminum, and in view of the requirement for a pleasing appearance, haveto be provided with a costly surface treatment.

These types of cast parts are fixedly anchored to the sliding rails bymeans of impressions on the sliding rails, which project intocorresponding indentations of the casting plugs.

As the molded parts are not only exposed to high temperatures when usedin an oven, but also to other influences such as moisture, fruit acids(where cakes are being cooked) or the like, a high degree of corrosionresistance is required, which cannot be guaranteed reliably in the longterm by surface treated light metal parts.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is one aspect of the present invention to create a sliding rail ofthe generic type with a molded part secured to its front end, the moldedpart being distinguished in that it can be produced and mounted simplyand economically and has a high degree of corrosion resistance.

In one contemplated embodiment of the invention, the molded part isproduced from a spring steel strip and is clamped in a form-fittingmanner to the sliding rail.

The use of spring steel to produce the molded part achieves a highdegree of corrosion resistance, which is also guaranteed to be almostunlimited in time (i.e., long-lasting). In addition, the springcharacteristics of the molded part mean that simple securing to thesliding rail by means of form-fitting clamping can be achieved, theretaining forces achieved being practically tolerance-independentbecause of the spring characteristics of the molded part. The secureconnection is not impaired in practice, even after years of use, as thespring forces of the molded part always ensure a fixed seat relative tothe sliding rail.

Further features of the invention will be made apparent from thediscussion below and from the drawings appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is described in more detail below by way of variousexemplified embodiments and illustrations in which:

FIGS. 1-4 are perspective representations of a first embodiment of amolded part for a sliding rail of a pull-out guide, showing variousassembly positions when the molded part is being mounted on a slidingrail;

FIGS. 5-8 are representations of a second exemplified embodiment of theinvention corresponding to FIGS. 1-4; and

FIGS. 9-12 are perspective representations of a third embodiment of amolded part and of a sliding rail of a pull-out guide, showing variousassembly positions when the molded part is being mounted on the slidingrail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENT(S) OF THE INVENTION

One or more embodiments of the invention will now be described inconnection with the drawings appended hereto. The embodiments describedare not intended to limit the scope of the invention. To the contrary,the embodiments are intended to illustrate the breadth of the invention.As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, there are numerousvariations and equivalents that are intended to be encompassed by theinvention.

In each of the Figures, the reference 1 is given to a partiallyrepresented sliding rail of a pull-out guide for accommodating an oventray for cooked food. For reasons of clarity, the sliding rail 1 isshown, in each case, in the region of its front end, at the end face 4situated facing a door of an oven. As should be immediately apparent,the sliding rail 1 is shown in its position of use.

The reference 2 refers, in each embodiment, to a molded part that issecured at the front end of the sliding rail 1. As such, the front endof the sliding rail 1, at the end face 4, is covered in each case by themolded part 2.

The molded part 2 is, in each of the illustrated embodiments, producedfrom a spring steel strip and includes a central web 3 that abutsagainst the end face 4 of the sliding rail 1, when the molded part 2 isin the mounted state. The molded part 2 extends downward, below thecentral web 3, beyond the underside of the sliding rail 1. By means of acircular bending-round 5, the molded part 2 defines an upwardly directedflange 6 that extends approximately parallel to the central web 3. Theflange 6 extends into the cross-sectional region of the sliding rail 1.

The upper end region of the molded part 2 protrudes beyond the slidingrail 1. Specifically, in the first embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-4,the central web 3 merges into a loop-like section 7. The upper materiallayer 8 of the loop-like section 7 extends inclinedly (or inclinesupwardly) in the direction of the rear side of the sliding rail 1. Thelower material layer 9 of the loop-like section 7 points back in thedirection of the central web 3, and the free end region of the lowermaterial layer 9 is curved so as to extend approximately parallel to thecentral web 3. The lower material layer 9 is provided with a tongue 10,which points in the direction of the sliding rail 1 and extends into itscross-sectional region.

In the front end region at the end face 4 on its top side, the slidingrail 1 is provided with an opening 11, in which the tongue 10 engageswhen the molded part 2 is secured to the sliding rail 1.

The upwardly extending flange 6 is provided with two notches 12 in itsfree end region. The notches 12 correspond, as regards their width, tothe thickness of the side walls 13 of the sliding rail 1. The spacingbetween the two notches 12 also corresponds to the spacing between thetwo side walls 13 of the sliding rail 1. The two side walls of thesliding rail 1 are each given the reference 13. The sliding rail 1, asnormal, is in the form of a tube that is slotted in the longitudinaldirection and has a substantially rectangular cross section. The twoside walls 13 extend parallel to each other. Through the longitudinalslot, the sliding rail 1 is substantially open downwards so that it ispossible for a web of a supporting rail (not shown), provided with aball cage, to engage the sliding rail 1.

As FIGS. 2-4 clearly show, the longitudinal slot is realized such thatone side wall 13 of the sliding rail 1 extends further down than theoppositely situated, adjacent side wall 13. In other words, one of theside walls 13 is taller (or presents a greater height) than the otherside wall 13. The side wall 13 that extends further down is provided inthe front region at the end face with a cutout 14. One of the twonotches 12 of the flange 6 of the molded part 2 engages the side wall 13in the region of the cutout 14.

The molded part 2 is affixed to the end part 4 of the sliding rail 1 bythe tongue 10 that projects into the opening 11 in the region of the topside of the sliding rail 1 and by the form-fitting engagement between aside wall region and one of the notches 12 in the region of the lowerflange 6 of the molded part 2. The molded part 2, which is produced froma spring steel strip, is therefore clamped in a form-fitting manner ontothe sliding rail 1. The spring characteristics of the molded part 2permit tolerances to be comfortably bridged so that a fixed, rattle-freeconnection between the molded part 2 and the sliding rail 1 can beguaranteed.

The two notches 12 at the free end of the flange 6 enable the moldedpart 2 to be used both on a left-hand and a right-hand specificembodiment of a sliding rail 1.

The second exemplified embodiment of the invention, which is shown inFIGS. 5-8, differs from the first exemplified embodiment simply in thatan upwardly directed tongue 15 is provided at the lower flange 6. In afashion similar to the tongue 10, the tongue 15 engages an opening 11 ofthe sliding rail 1 in the upper end region of the molded part 2.

In this second embodiment, as in the prior embodiment, the molded part 2is clamped in a form-fitting manner to the sliding rail 1. As before, itis possible to bridge relatively large tolerances. Moreover, throughcorresponding prestressing, it is always possible to be able tointroduce the tongues 10 and 15 into the opening 11 of the sliding rail1.

In this second embodiment, as illustrated in FIGS. 5-8, the molded part2 can be used quite readily on right-sided as well as left-sided slidingrails 1.

In the first exemplified embodiment of the invention in FIGS. 1-4 asalso in the second exemplified embodiment in FIGS. 5-8, the molded part2 is mounted on the sliding rail 1 extending from the end face 4 of thesliding rail 1. This is shown equally clearly by FIGS. 2-4 and FIGS.6-8. In other words, the molded part 2 is attached to the end face 4from the end thereof.

In the third exemplified embodiment, shown in FIGS. 9-12, contrary tothe first and second embodiments, the molded part 2 can be mountedtransversely relative to the longitudinal axis of the sliding rail 1.

This transverse mounting is achieved by way of the tongue 10 that isprovided on the lower material layer 9 of the upper, loop-shaped section7, which is contoured as a semi-circle.

This makes it possible in this third embodiment for the molded part 2with its central web 3 to move forward as far as the front end face 4 ofthe sliding rail 1 and then, by displacing the molded part 2transversely relative to the longitudinal direction of the sliding rail1, to allow the tongue 10 to lock into the opening 11 of the slidingrail 1. The underside of the flange 6 of the molded part is providedwith corner-type notches 16 in its free end region at the end face. Asillustrated, the corner-type notches 16 define a flange section 6 a, thewidth of which corresponds to the clearance between the two side walls13 of the sliding rail 1. The region protruding further downwards of oneof the side walls 13 is provided with a cutout 17, through which theflange 6 of the molded part 2 can extend into the cross-sectional regionof the sliding rail 1, this being illustrated particularly well in FIG.10.

The molded part 2 according to FIGS. 9-12 can also be mounted easily onsliding rails 1 of a pull-out guide provided on the right-hand side orthe left-hand side.

In all the exemplified embodiments, the molded part 2 is produced from aspring steel strip that has been deburred on both sides. This means thatany finishing work to the molded part 2—which may not be necessary atall—only has to be carried out to the end regions at the end face of therespective molded parts 2.

As the spring steel strip has a very smooth surface through the rollingprocedure, a molded part 2 realized according to the invention, whererequired, can also be easily and thoroughly cleaned on its visible side.In other words, the side visible to the user may be cleaned so that themolded part 2 presents an aesthetically-pleasing appearance.

Through the resilience of the molded part 2, high impact forces causedby the positive locking to the sliding rail 1 that may be produced whenthe sliding rail 1 is inserted, can be absorbed with no appearances ofloosening. In other words, it is contemplated that high impact forceswill not loosen the molded part 2 from the sliding rail 1.

It is possible for the lower bending-round 5 of the molded part 2 tohave a relatively large radius. A relatively large radius considerablysimplifies the procedure of the pull-out guide being pushed in by meansof the door of an oven.

All in all, the development of the molded part 2 achieves cost-effectiveproduction, simple assembly and continuous toughness.

Other embodiments and variations may be appreciated by those skilled inthe art based upon the embodiments described and illustrated herein.Those variations and embodiments are intended to be encompassed by theinvention.

1-12. (canceled)
 13. A sliding rail of a pull-out guide, comprising: asliding rail defining a front end, a rear end, a top, a bottom, andlongitudinally-extending slot on the bottom; and a molded partcomprising a spring steel strip configured to define a central web witha top end and a bottom end, a rounded portion defined at the bottom end,the rounded portion extending below the bottom of the sliding rail, anda loop-like section defined at the top end, the loop-like sectionprotruding above the top of the sliding rail, toward the rear end of thesliding rail, wherein the rounded portion engages the bottom of thesliding rail and the loop-like section engages the top of the slidingrail so that the molded part is secured to and covers the front end ofthe sliding rail.
 14. The sliding rail of claim 13, wherein the slidingrail is configured for a pull-out guide that accommodates an oven trayand wherein the front end faces an oven door.
 15. The sliding rail ofclaim 13, wherein the molded part is deburred.
 16. The sliding rail ofclaim 13, wherein the molded part further comprises: a tongue defined onthe loop-like section; and an opening in the top of the sliding rail,wherein the tongue engages the opening.
 17. The sliding rail of claim16, wherein the molded portion further comprises: a flange defined onthe rounded portion, wherein the rounded portion has at least apartially circular shape and the flange extends upwardly into thelongitudinally-extending slot.
 18. The sliding rail of claim 16, whereinthe molded portion further comprises: a flange defined on the roundedportion; and a cutout defined by at least one side wall of the slidingrail, wherein the flange extends upwardly into thelongitudinally-extending slot and the cutout.
 19. The sliding rail ofclaim 18, wherein the molded portion further comprises: two notches, oneon either side of the flange, the notches having widths corresponding toa thickness of the side walls, the notches being separated from oneanother by a distance corresponding to the a spacing between the sidewalls.
 20. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the loop-like sectioncomprises an upper material layer that is inclined toward the rear endof the sliding rail and a lower material layer that defines the tongue.21. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the molded part furthercomprises: a flange defined on the rounded portion; and an upwardlydirected tongue that extends from the flange, through thelongitudinally-extending slot, and through the opening in the top of thesliding rail.
 22. The sliding rail of claim 16, wherein the molded partfurther comprises: a flange defined on the rounded part; and twocorner-type notches disposed on either side of the flange, therebydefining a free flange section, a width of the free flange sectionpermitting placement of the free flange section between side walls ofthe sliding rail.
 23. The sliding rail of claim 22, wherein the slidingrail includes a cutout and the molded part is mounted, via a transverseengagement, to the end face of the sliding rail.
 23. The sliding rail ofclaim 16, wherein the tongue has a semi-circular shape.
 24. The slidingrail of claim 13, wherein the central web is pressed against the endface of the sliding rail in a form-fitting manner.
 25. The sliding railof claim 13, wherein the sliding rail is at least one of a left-hand ora right-hand sliding rail and the molded part is securable to the endface of at least one of a left-hand or a right-hand sliding rail.